Page 49 of Halfblood Deceived

The ringing in Zeydan’s ears grew tenfold.

Cracks appeared on the ceiling and the walls.

The vibrations beneath Zeydan told him the explosion had been worse in the east wing, which is where the females were.

He stood, shaking his head, ignoring the blood leaking down his nose.

Andreas got on his feet as well, flapping an injured wing and helping a dizzy Lex get up.

The wall on their left broke in half.

A tingle of warning ran down Zeydan’s back as four more gargoyles approached the destroyed picture windows slowly, smugly.

“Not bad, Duke Zeydan,” one male said as he entered the ballroom as if he owned the place. He was huge, and there was something utterly disturbing in his red eyes. “But you see, the leech who sold this pretty mansion to you had the schematics stored in his safe, and he gave them to us.”

A chill of dread ran down Zeydan’s back.

The gargoyle grinned, flashing stone fangs and teeth. “Your little escape tunnel is no more. I wonder if it collapsed on top of those whores you are trying to protect.”

Zeydan growled, the sound of the beast he usually kept at locked in. His muscles and flesh stretched as he grew almost half a foot, claws, wings, and massive double fangs manifesting. His mask fell to the floor. The gargoyles smiled, bloodlust bright in their red eyes.

“Lex, Evan, go,” Zeydan ordered.

They listened and took a step toward the double doors at their backs.

The doors blew off their hinges and two more gargoyles entered the massive room.

“None of you are going anywhere,” the largest gargoyle mocked.

“We’ll see about that,” Zeydan said, launching himself at the stone beast.

CHAPTER 13

Four more explosions shook the walls and the floor. Little pieces of concrete rain on their heads.

“Those would be Andreas’ countermeasures,” Mari announced with utter calm. “There must be quite a few gargoyles in pieces across the living room, the kitchen, and the greenhouse.”

Luce sighed. “I liked the greenhouse.”

“Doesn’t that mean you are trapped in here?” Aella asked, her voice tight with horror.

Gabby shook her head. “We aren’t. There’s an escape tunnel down the hall that leads to a garage. If they aren’t back in ten minutes, we are to use it and leave.”

“Five,” corrected Mari, making Gabby and Luce purse their lips. “Come on, let’s get closer.”

She led the way out to the surprisingly wide and well-lit hall with two doors and a flight of stairs. At the bottom, there was a solid wall. Mari went straight toward the solid wall, placing her hand on the smooth surface and chanting an incantation that made the white structure ripple as if made of water. When the ripple vanished, there was a large wooden door where there had been nothing but solid concrete before.

“Three minutes,” Mari announced.

“I can bloody count too, you know?” Gabby snapped, her eyes shifted, the pupils slitting and the irises turning azure. Her fangs flashed as she cursed, and prayed at once, begging Lilith to keep her husband safe.

“Please come back, Dad,” Luce whispered, one arm wrapped around her frog, the gun in her other hand.

Mari chewed on her lower lip and muttered something Aella couldn’t hear, but she thought the name Morrigan was mentioned.

Aella stared at her feet. She had no one to pray to. Her god—no, the god she had been taught to worship—had been the one to create the gargoyles. It seemed dissonant to ask Him to stop the beasts that He created.

“Time’s up,” Mari announced.

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